How to Turn Your Everyday Life Into a Missional Life

Dec 8

Most of us know what we believe about the call to a missional life. We know the truth in our heads, and at some level we feel it in our hearts. But the real challenge comes in the space between belief and everyday life. How do we actually live out what we say is true about being missional—right in the middle of our routines, relationships, and responsibilities?

One of the simplest ways to bridge that gap is by paying attention to the places we already go, the people already in our lives, and the small habits that shape how we show up. That’s why this framework is so helpful: one place, one person, one practice. Three everyday lenses that help us turn belief into lived mission.

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One Place: Where God Already Has You

First, let’s identify one place where we could become more intentional about mission. Where has God already sent you? It could be your job, your neighborhood, your friend group, the gym, the campus. Chances are there’s a place we’re already in regularly and frequently where God has surrounded us with people—and there’s an opportunity to live in a more intentionally sent way.

Mission is not just about when the next international mission trip comes up or when the next ENC trip sends a team to another campus for ten days. Living missionally is about realizing the opportunities in the places God has already placed us.

One Person: Mission Always Moves Toward People

Second, we should identify one person that we could be more intentional with—not as a project, but as a fellow image bearer and someone who is far from God and not in relationship with Him. Someone to genuinely know and to love, whether they ever agree with us or not.

Ask the Lord to place somebody on your heart to pray for, to love, to be more intentionally present with. That person might be at the place you just identified, or they might be in another sphere of your life. Wherever they are, ask God to highlight one person who needs the hope and salvation that you carry.

One Practice: A Simple Step of Gospel Intentionality

Third, we should identify one practice: a small shift in posture that helps us live as a sent people in the places God has already placed us.

There are a lot of ideas here, but one simple and extremely powerful practice is this: offer to pray for someone. Not just saying, “I will pray for you,” but stopping the conversation right in that moment and saying, “Can I pray for you right now?”

Don’t just promise prayer—practice it on the spot.

A Story of Intentional Presence

A pastor friend of mine shared something cool that his family has started doing. When they go out to dinner, they—like many of us—pray over the meal. But recently they decided, “We want to be more intentional. We want to be thoughtful about this space.”

So when the waiter brought their food, they said, “Hey, we’re going to pray for our meal, and we’d love to pray for you too, since you served us. Is there anything we can pray for?”

The waiter smiled and said, “Actually, I would really like that and could really use it. It’s my first day here, and it’s been stressful and hard.”

So they prayed for him right then and there. That young man encountered the love of God in an intentional and clear way. It wasn’t just kindness. It was clarity: “We believe God cares about what you’re going through today.”

Why This Matters More Than We Realize

There are so many times when we’re talking with a friend, a cashier, someone out in public—something personal comes up and we just respond with sympathy: “I’m so sorry, that’s hard.” Maybe if they’re a Christian, we say, “I’ll be praying for you… let’s keep in touch,” even though we may never follow up.

There’s something powerful about stopping and saying, “I believe God cares about this right now. Can I pray with you?” There’s power in that. There’s love in that.

And in doing so, we often preach the gospel through our prayers: “Lord, thank You that You love this person… Thank You that You lived and died and rose again for them… Help them experience Your love today…”

You just shared the gospel. Clearly. Gently. Naturally.

Gospel Intentionality in Everyday Life

Gospel intentionality can look simple:

Giving God credit out loud instead of saying, “Yeah, I’m doing well.”
Saying things like, “God’s been really good to me this week.”
Saying “God bless you,” or “Jesus loves you,” not as a performance but as a quiet reminder that we belong to Him.
Speaking honestly: “I used to carry a lot of anxiety—Jesus has been changing that.”
Asking, “Can I tell you what I actually believe?”

We don’t have to become different people or add ten things to our schedule to be missional. Take one small step of obedience. Give God glory through your words. Trust that the Spirit can do more through simple faithfulness than we expect.

A Posture Shift, Not a New Program

For my friend and his family, dinner was something they were already doing. They didn’t add something new—they simply shifted their posture.

This is what everyday mission looks like. Not going out to create interactions. Not trying to be impressive. Just thoughtful, intentional gospel moments with people already around us.

One place, one person, one practice.
Ask the Lord to show you yours. He will.
And by His grace and through His Spirit, He will help you live it out.

Pastor Casey Olsen

Casey Olsen is a husband, dad, and the Associate Pastor at Grace City Church. He earned his seminary degree from Western Seminary and serves as both an adjunct professor at Northwest University and an assistant at Every Nation Seminary. Casey is passionate about theology and helping people grow in their faith through thoughtful teaching and genuine discipleship.